heat of the day.
“I’ve talked to your daed about helping with the greenhouse,” Daniel said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “He said he hopes to begin working on it sometime next week.”
Rebekah swallowed again. Why was Daniel being so nice, and why did he keep looking at her in such a strange way? It wasn’t a look of pity, she was sure of that much, but she couldn’t decide what his tipped head and lips curved slightly upwards meant. “I—I really appreciate the offer of help,” she said. “I’ll be grateful to anyone who helps build my new greenhouse.”
Daniel stared down at his boots, rocking back and forth on his heels as if he might be feeling kind of nervous all of a sudden. Then he cleared his throat a couple of times and looked up at her again. “Well, guess I ... uh ... had better get back to work before my daed comes lookin’ for me and accuses me of sloughin’ off.”
He turned and was about to step off the porch when Rebekah called out to him. “Did you get some cold tea yet?”
Daniel lifted his hat over his head and waved it at her. “I had some, danki.” He took the steps two at a time and actually ran back to the job site, leaving Rebekah to wonder about his strange behavior. Had he been nervous because Mary Ellen was sitting there beside her and hadn’t said one single word to him? Had he wanted to say something to her but not been able to work up the nerve? Jah, that was probably the case, all right.
“You could have at least said hello to Daniel,” Rebekah said, squinting at her cousin, who had seemed intent on shelling peas the whole time Daniel had been on the porch, rather than joining in on their conversation.
Mary Ellen’s eyebrows drew together. “I figured if he had something he wanted to say to me, he wouldn’t have been talking to you.”
“Maybe the reason he was talking to me was because you just sat there, shelling peas like there was no tomorrow and never taking part in the conversation at all.”
Mary Ellen merely shrugged in response, but a few seconds later, she poked Rebekah with her elbow and whispered, “Daniel seems like a nice person, don’t you think?”
Rebekah nodded but kept her focus on the pan of peas in her lap.
If you think he’s so nice, then why aren’t you giving the poor fellow a chance?
she silently fumed.
If I had someone like Daniel Beachy interested in me, I sure wouldn’t be wasting my time on the likes of that juvenile Johnny Yoder.
***
Daniel kicked at a hefty stone with the toe of his boot as he ambled across the yard toward the new building that was rapidly going up. Had he made a fool of himself during his conversation with Rebekah? She’d been friendly enough, he supposed, but she had acted kind of nervous, too. And her cousin Mary Ellen hadn’t said a single word the whole time he’d been on the porch—just sat there shelling peas as though he didn’t exist.
Does Mary Ellen disapprove of me? Maybe she thinks I’m not good enough for Rebekah. She might have even said some things against me to her.
Daniel didn’t have a fancy way with words like Johnny did, and he sure wasn’t nearly as funny or persuasive. But he was a hard worker, and he cared about Rebekah—so much so that it actually hurt. He figured that ought to count for something.
He kicked another stone and grimaced.
Maybe I’m just too unsure of myself. Maybe I ought to come right out and tell Rebekah what’s on my mind and be done with it. At least then I’d know where I stand with her. If she doesn’t care for me at all,
I should at least give her the chance to say so.
“Hey, Daniel, are you comin’ back to work anytime soon, or did you plan to stand there all day kickin’ at stones?” Daniel’s father shouted from where he knelt on one of the rafters of the new barn.
Feeling a rush of heat cover his face, Daniel cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered back, “I’m on my way, Pop!”
CHAPTER 9
As Nadine
“I’ve talked to your daed about helping with the greenhouse,” Daniel said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “He said he hopes to begin working on it sometime next week.”
Rebekah swallowed again. Why was Daniel being so nice, and why did he keep looking at her in such a strange way? It wasn’t a look of pity, she was sure of that much, but she couldn’t decide what his tipped head and lips curved slightly upwards meant. “I—I really appreciate the offer of help,” she said. “I’ll be grateful to anyone who helps build my new greenhouse.”
Daniel stared down at his boots, rocking back and forth on his heels as if he might be feeling kind of nervous all of a sudden. Then he cleared his throat a couple of times and looked up at her again. “Well, guess I ... uh ... had better get back to work before my daed comes lookin’ for me and accuses me of sloughin’ off.”
He turned and was about to step off the porch when Rebekah called out to him. “Did you get some cold tea yet?”
Daniel lifted his hat over his head and waved it at her. “I had some, danki.” He took the steps two at a time and actually ran back to the job site, leaving Rebekah to wonder about his strange behavior. Had he been nervous because Mary Ellen was sitting there beside her and hadn’t said one single word to him? Had he wanted to say something to her but not been able to work up the nerve? Jah, that was probably the case, all right.
“You could have at least said hello to Daniel,” Rebekah said, squinting at her cousin, who had seemed intent on shelling peas the whole time Daniel had been on the porch, rather than joining in on their conversation.
Mary Ellen’s eyebrows drew together. “I figured if he had something he wanted to say to me, he wouldn’t have been talking to you.”
“Maybe the reason he was talking to me was because you just sat there, shelling peas like there was no tomorrow and never taking part in the conversation at all.”
Mary Ellen merely shrugged in response, but a few seconds later, she poked Rebekah with her elbow and whispered, “Daniel seems like a nice person, don’t you think?”
Rebekah nodded but kept her focus on the pan of peas in her lap.
If you think he’s so nice, then why aren’t you giving the poor fellow a chance?
she silently fumed.
If I had someone like Daniel Beachy interested in me, I sure wouldn’t be wasting my time on the likes of that juvenile Johnny Yoder.
***
Daniel kicked at a hefty stone with the toe of his boot as he ambled across the yard toward the new building that was rapidly going up. Had he made a fool of himself during his conversation with Rebekah? She’d been friendly enough, he supposed, but she had acted kind of nervous, too. And her cousin Mary Ellen hadn’t said a single word the whole time he’d been on the porch—just sat there shelling peas as though he didn’t exist.
Does Mary Ellen disapprove of me? Maybe she thinks I’m not good enough for Rebekah. She might have even said some things against me to her.
Daniel didn’t have a fancy way with words like Johnny did, and he sure wasn’t nearly as funny or persuasive. But he was a hard worker, and he cared about Rebekah—so much so that it actually hurt. He figured that ought to count for something.
He kicked another stone and grimaced.
Maybe I’m just too unsure of myself. Maybe I ought to come right out and tell Rebekah what’s on my mind and be done with it. At least then I’d know where I stand with her. If she doesn’t care for me at all,
I should at least give her the chance to say so.
“Hey, Daniel, are you comin’ back to work anytime soon, or did you plan to stand there all day kickin’ at stones?” Daniel’s father shouted from where he knelt on one of the rafters of the new barn.
Feeling a rush of heat cover his face, Daniel cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered back, “I’m on my way, Pop!”
CHAPTER 9
As Nadine
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